Friction shock-absorbing mechanism



June 3, 1930. J. F. OcoNNoR FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed June 25,V 192s:

2 Sheets-Sheet l June 3, 1930.` J. F. ocoNNoR 1,762,096

FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING' MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fave/z2?? @naar Patented June 3,1930'` 'y Y JOHN F. oooNNoR, on CHICAGO, inLINoIs, lAssrerronjvisiYMnsnn`nssIenitrnltzlzs,1iro Y Femme',SHOCKABSORBING Mmmm j;

i' Application med .rime 25,

This invention relates Yto' improvements mfrlction shock absorbing-mechanisms.

1- Oneobject Vof the invention is toprovide c a friction l shock absorbing mechanism, fmore` t particularly Aadaptedjfor railway draftzrig- I gings, zwherein is,"obtainedfhigh` capacity Y due to large frictionalv areas','together Withv preliminary actionprof the followers and Wedge devices prior to yactual relativeimovef Y l ment of the friction plates, topermit veasy,

release of the parts when theactuating force -rs removed.V f Y Another object of the invention is to pro'- vide a friction shock absorbing mechanism 'of the intercalated Vfriction plate type,

wherein the Wedgepres'surecreating means is released, and has an initial movement, inr dependently, of the vfriction plates yto assure n v quick andV certain releaseV of" theV entire l 1z0-mechanism.

y A more specific object ofthe invention'is y to provide amechanism ofthe type referred to, including a plurality oflrelatively movabl'e'frictionplates coacting'with a pair of., 2,25 friction casings or'honsings, together `With Wedge shoesV and Wedge 'pressure creating means, wherein the plates arey returnedY` to normal positionby means on` thehousings :engaging the same, and the housings 1n turn l are restored'r tou'n'ormal positionby Yengage-L` mentof the shoestherewith, the Vshoes being so arranged and disposed with reference to the housings that the engaging 'means on the shoes and housings are spaced Vapart during compression ot .the mechanism, whereby, 1ny

dependent initial vrelease `movement `ofthe 'shoes is liad-With'reference` tothehousiiigs f andplates.v .Y v y In lthe drawings forming a pantr of this 40 speci'cation-].l`ig. 1 is ahorizontal7 longitudinal, sectional :vievvf of; 'a railway i draft Y., rigging, showing luy-'improvements inlcon# ,fnectiontherewith. I `1g.*"2 "1s a-l vertical,

transverse, sectional view, YCorrespending .45 ysnlostantiallyato tlielneQ/fQ of Fig. 1. Fig;

, 3 isa vertical, "longitudinal, sectional View corresponding substantially to `the'line 8 3 oflig. l. lFig. 4' vis a -detailed, side elevational view of oneiof the friction plates used in connection with Inyimproved shook ,iezaf 'serial Nafee'mee' i f f .Lagaf ,absorbing mechanism, the plate'being-*shovvn i Lpartly brokenk to Vbetter accommodate-the View tothesheet., And Fig. pisja detailed, perspective vievvvof one ofthe friction'slioes.k

In saiddrawings, 10e-10 indicate channel `est i lshaped. center orv draft sills, `to ;1the;inner faces of Whichare secured frontfstoplugs 11 and `rear stop lugsf12 Agportion'/ offthe y'dkraYW-bar'is shownat 13,120 which is attached a ghoodedi yoke 14.,,The-shock*absorbinggo mechanism proper, incrzludingv the fronteand` rear' followers, Aare disposed Within the, yoke 14 vandthemovable partsof the `draft rigli ging are supported ,by a detachable saddle .spia-ele.I z K- v Y Y.

V The improved-- shockxabsorbing mechav nisrn, kas shown', compriseS v broadly, front and rear Yfollowers Aff-A; front andwrear 'l i ,friction y casings; Aor g housings *A :Bf-'B ';I front `and rear ,wedge 'blocks front and rearl :e

pairs of `Wedge' shoes; De-fD; ,two groups ,of`

shownin Figure 1, andthe endfwalls-are friction' plates E-E ;'front'and rear spring f -`followers. F-YF; a spring resistance Gr' 'and' :aretainer bolt l. The front andi'rear :fol-lowers A areof like construction,each"beingfprovided with Y. "-to'pf vrand bottom Wallsgl'-16,-.-sidev Walls' f .'17--17 and a' transversely disposed, end Wall 18.y The top-, bottom andside Walls ofi-the -`followers are relatively ,"short, as Aclearly adapted to co-aot with the front Vandrear stop lugsiin kthe usual.'manner.,V Theend .extendingihollow projection 1 9'spaced,frorn #the top,r bottom andside Wal-lsof the fol-V,

lOWeLybeing ofi af-heightvto extend loosely betweenl the .top and bottom' Walls thereof.

Each'proj ection 19 `is provided." with ai flat rendV face r20ad'apted to form an abutmentfy"for the corresponding'pwedge block C. Each rlof the; end Walls. is Valsoprovided with al L central-'opening 21 through Which-the VIfetainerboltorxnntmaybeinsertedl *like*construction,- beingtof 'rectangular crossinto thev corresponding casingBand Work l' "Th e friction e-asingsv or housings B are of section andopenat the opposite endsfy ,Each i )of 4the ycasings has spaced, ylongitud,inallyf dis-V longitudinally extending, spaced, side walls 23-23, the inner sides of the walls 23 forming longitudinally extending friction surfaces 123 adapted to co-act with the outermost plates of the groups of friction plates. Near their outer ends,.the upper andlower lwalls of each casing are provided with transversely disposed, alined pairs of upper and lower rvribs 24, extending inwardly from the side walls fora short distance and having their inner ends spaced apart, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, to accommodate the corresponding wedge block C therebetween.

`the corresponding Ywedge block C. Each "of the wedge shoes D is vprovided with a wedge facev 27 uadapted to co-act with one of the wedge faces 26 of one of the blocks C,-'a-n outer elongated fiat friction face 28 adapted-to co-act with theV innermost frie- '-tio`n plate of 'one of the igroups E, and a rearface 29-forming an abutment for one of 'the spring followers F. Asy clearly shown inFig. 5, each of the shoes D is in the form vof elongated member, cut away at its inner side-to provide a concave surface rearwardly of the face 29 to receive the side of the outer coil of' the' spring resistance G. The

'outer-end of each of the shoes D is Vreduced in height as indicated at 30'thereby providing upper andlowerstop shoulders 31-31 adapted to co-aet with' the upper and lower ribs 24.- of the casings B, to effect restoration of the casings to normal position.

The 'friction plates E are arranged within the casings B and comprise two opposite- Vly disposed groups. groups of ,plates E veach comprises fthree As herein shown, the

plates 32 and three' plates 33, the plates 32 Vand 33 being alternated and the plates 32 of each group rarranged outermost and in y contact with thelinner surfaces 123 of the walls 23 ofthe Vc'asings B, and with a plate 33 of eachgroup arranged innermost and in contact with the faces 28 of the adjacent I front and rear wedge shoes The plates 32 and 33 are of similar clonstructionpand asbest shown'in Fig. 4, each plate has the `upper and lower edges cut away at one end 4thereof to provide a reduced portion 34 i "adapted to work between the upper andlowuerribs21'of'one of the casings B. Near th'e opposite end, each plate vhas the upper Aends thereof which are fixed respectively to the vfront andrear casings B flushed to the outer ends of the respective casings.

The spring resistance G extends longitudinallyof the mechanism and is interposed between the front and rear pairs of shoes, having the front and rear ends thereof bearing directly on the spring followers F.

The mechanism is held under initial compression by the retainer bolt H anchored to the projections 19 of the front and rear followers A and extending through the inner coils of the spring resistance G and alined vopenings in the front and rear spring followers F and the front and rear wedge blocks C.

The operation of my improved shock absorbing mechanism is as follows, assuming an inward or bufling movement of the drawbar. Upon inward lor rearward movement ofthe draw-bar, the front follower A will move therewith, forcing the front wedge C and the shoes rearwardly therewith and compressing the spring resistance G, thereby forcing the rear pair of shoes D aga-inst the rear wedge C. At the same time, a wedging action will be set up between the front and rear wedges and the shoes D, placing the friction plates under lateral pressure. -Asthe rearward movement of the front follower A continues, the front shoes D will tend to move the friction plates and front casing B rearwardly therewith, due to the friction between the fro-nt shoes D and the innermost plates of each group. At the same time there will be an Veolual resistance to the rearward movement of the plates and therear casing B due to the friction between the rear shoes D and the innermost plates of each group. 'Due toV this balancing action, the rear casing B and the rear ends of the `plates will approach the rear follower A atsubstantially the same rateas the front follower approaches the front casing B and the front ends of the plates, while the front vshoes sli/p on the inner plates 33 and the plates slip on the rear shoes D. This ac-4 tion will continue until the front follower engages with the vfront casing B and the follower, thereby causing movement of the 'y plates SQrelatively to the platesy 33 opposed by -the frictionalresistance between the c0- acting'r surfaces of the :plates andthe outer-4 ,mostplates 32 andthefriction surfaces of thelf'rear casing B. Aswill be evident, during .the relative :movement of the casings B and "the shoes 1),'the shoulders 31 ofl the latter Will be moved away from the ribs` V 24' of the casingszB, thus spacingthe shouldersinwardly of the ribs an appreciable distance. .g' *Y The relative movementiof the followers, casing and plates continuesuntil the actu ating force is removed oruntil' the adjacent ends of the casings B come into-r abutting i'elation,"vliereupon the force is transmitted directly through thecasiiigs to the rear stop Y is held stationary.

Y lugs.y

During draft the action is the reverse'v'of that just described, the rearA follower being moved forwardly While the jfront follower vplates of 'each' group. This initial action`v .assures an easy-release a quick `andv certain reduction of the "lateralpressure'fonf .the groups ofp'lates. As, the shoes at'fone 'end' of the mechanism moveoutwardly relatively to the casing B, due to theexpaiision of the'spring resistance, the shoulders on vsaid shoes 81 will engage the ribs lof" toe y casing and carry the same andthe friction" .plates anchored thereto outwardly also.

TJpon outward movement of the slioesat one end of themecha'nism, the spring resistance is permitted to expand,l thereby relieving the pressure on the' vshoes at the other end 'of thefmechanism, and reducing-the pressure on Vthe plates.

are anchored, the other set vof platesfand the casing anchored thereto, due tothe friction betweenthe sets of' plates, willA be carried along therewith until arrested bythe ribsl 2d engaging the shoulders 3l of the `corresponding shoes D.v All of the parts willthus be restored to normal positiongby the eX- pansion of the spring resistance.` Y

It will be evident that proper spa'ci the vrear casing B with reference .toi the rea-r follower, in the normal position ofthe parts,y

will be maintained lby the shoulders 31 on the shoes engaging the ribs 24 ofthe casings ballad-by thewvedge shoes D being moved followers', relatively 'movable toward each lother; y'of vfront andV rear friction casing's'` l relatively; movable toward each otherV upon As' one lset of vrplates nieves-y outwardly with thev. casingto which the same-rr ngof the front'ends of the plates 32- andthe fro'i'it*y casing B with reference to the front follower and the rear ends of the plates 33; and' YB when the `slioesfarefin their outermost As Wear occurs on ,tlievarious friction and Wedge. surfaces, compensation thereforwill apart due to the-expansion' of the 1 spring resistance Gf-which sunder initial comj .pression as. liereinbefore described;

Ii-h'a-ve herein shown and,describedgvvhatfy I now consider the-preferred manner of carrying, out 'theA invention, but the same 1s finerely .illustrative and l? contemplate all changes 'and modifications that comefvvithi'n* thescope ofthe claims 'appended heretog,A

`l claim:v .Y y l. `ln a friction shock absorbing mechamsm, the. combination-*With front and rear movement of saidj followers; lateral Wedge'-` v pressure-creatingmeans including 'friction' shoes havingineans thereon adapted to coact with said casings to yrestore the same to normal position, saidshoes being .relatively movable With reference to the casings during compression of the mechanism; longitudi-V nallyv arranged friction plates `Within the said casings .adapted for :relative movement upon relativev movement of said casings,fsaid, plates being divided into two vgroups on oppositej sides ofV said' wedge pressures-cre: l. ating-means, `certain of said plates offeach group being anchored 'to the frontfcasing .and the-reniainingV plates ofneach group beftroo `ing anchoredto'the rear casing; anda spring.

resistance co-acting witlisaid shoes.-- e f 2. In a friction shock absorbing rmechal iiism,'r the coinbinationlwith front'fand rear followers; of front and` rear follower cas-,105i

ings, normally slightly spaced frointhe front and rear followers respectively and adapted to pbefrno'ved y'relativelyv to eachother by direct engagement of the followers. there# with upon'relative movement of the latter; 21'10" y a plurality' ofilongitudinally' kdisposed fric-4 tion plates', `saidA plates being arranged in twojgr'oups at opposite sides of the mechajnism, alternate'platesroffreach group being' anchored to the front :and rear casingsf re-V .1,115

spectively; front'- and rear, .Wedge-*pressuretransmitting: members yco-acting A'withr the ,fi'ontn .and rear followers;y friction shoes Vinterposed'between' each Wedge member and .the group of friction plates, said shoes being 12o movable relatively tothe` casings upon coinpression ofthevNineChaniSm; means onsaid shoes adaptedtoceiigagethe Vcasings t0 re- 'storefthe .same-to normal: position; and a Y rspringresistance co-acting withsaid'shoes; 125

3. In a friction shock absorbing mecha-I y nism, vthe combination with front andrean y followers; of front and rear wedgesco-act- 'ring Withsaid followers; front and rear pairs y, of friction shoes engaging saidwedges, each mis ofsaid shoes having a-shoulder thereon; a spring resistance interposed between' said front and rear shoes; longitudinally ar-' ranged friction plates adapted for relative movement, 'said plates beingy divided into twor groups at opposite sides of said shoes; front and rear friction casings, each having ribs by Vwhich the same are anchored to alternate plates of each of said groups, said ribs being engaged by the shoulders on said shoes during release of the mechanism to restore the plates and casings to normal position.v

4. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with front and rear casings, normally spaced apart and movable toward each other; of front and rear followers co-acting'with the respective casings to move the latter toward each other, said followers being normally slidably spaced from the casings; front and rear wedges movable with said followers respectively; front and rear pairs of wedge shoes directly engaged by said wedgeshsaid shoes and cas- 5. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with front and rear Y followers relatively movable toward each other; of front and rear friction casings relatively movable toward each other, normal'- ly spaced from the respective followers and adapted .to abut and act as stop columns `when the mechanism is fully compressed to transmit the-actuating force directlypto the draft sills; lateral wedge pressure creating .means including wedge shoes having means thereon adapted to co-act with said casings to restore the same to normal position, said shoes being relatively movable with referfenceto the casings during compression of the mechanism; longitudinally arranged friction plates Awithin said casings adapted for relative movement upon relative movement of said casings, said plates beingdivided `into two groups on opposite sides of said wedge pressure-creating-means, certain of said plates of each group being connected to the front casing and the remaining plates `being connected to the rear casing; anda spring resistance co-acting with said shoes.

6. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the Vcombination with front and rear followers; of oppositely arranged front and rear casings normally spaced apart, and each'slightly spaced with reference to the respective follower, said casings being adapted for-relative movement; front and rear wedge blocks lmovable with said followers; front and rear wedge shoes engaged by said blocks and adapted for limited movement relatively to said casings; a spring resistance; longitudinally arranged friction plates adapted for relative movement upon relative movement of said casings, said plates being divided into two groups on opposite sides of said wedge blocks and shoes, each group comprising two sets of plates; means on each of said casings adapted to engage each plate of one set near one end thereof for restoring said set to normal position with the corresponding ends thereof slightly spaced from the adjacent follower; and coacting means on said shoes and casing adapted to restore the casings to normal position with the outer ends thereof slightly spaced from the front and rear followers, respectively.

7. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with front and rear followers having. wedge means movable therewith; of oppositely arranged, front and rear, friction shells movable with said followers; a plurality of friction wedge shoes co-acting with said wedge means; a plurality of friction plates `within said shells, said `plates being divided into two groups on opposite sides of said shoes, each of said groups comprising relatively movable sets of plates, one set of each group having means thereon co-acting with one of said shells to eifect return of the plates to normal position and the other set having means thereon co-acting with the remaining shell to effect return of the same to normal position; inter-engaging means on said shoes and shells for restoring said shells to normal position; and a spring resistance.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of J une, 1923.

JOHN irl. oooNNoia. 

